According to the Georgia State Patrol, the van’s rear right tire blew out, causing the driver to lose control of the van.The van flipped over several times, ejecting all of the passengers.The pastor of the church, the Tabernacle of Prayer and Deliverance in Columbus, and three other occupants of the van, were killed in the crash.Injured persons were airlifted to nearby hospitals.In all, there were 19 people on board ranging in age from 11 months to adults in their 40s.

The impact of the tire blowout and the subsequent rollover was catastrophic.According to a survivor, just about everybody in the van simply flew out when the van overturned.

Investigations into the accident have begun, and will include a look at the speed of the van at the time of the crash.The section of highway where the accident occurred has a posted speed limit of 65 mph.

This fatal Georgia accident comes just a few days after a similar van accident in New York.That accident killed six people, and reignited the debate over the safety of 15-passenger vans.There is enough evidence to show that these vans have an inherently unsafe design which includes a high center of gravity. This makes them more likely to roll over, especially in the event of a tire failure.However, in spite of all this evidence, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has not banned these vans altogether.All that the agency does is issue occasional safety recommendations, warning passengers that these vans have a higher susceptibility to roll over.

The Atlanta auto accident lawyers at the Katz Law Firm represent victims of car and auto accidents in the metro Atlanta area and across the state of Georgia.